FITCHBURG — Located in a predominantly Latino neighborhood that continues to grow, the Fitchburg Art Museum is working toward the goal of becoming New England's first fully bilingual art museum — true to its mission of making art accessible to all.

As progressive and forward-thinking as FAM Director Nick Capasso is, he said he was still surprised to learn that 39 percent of the city's population is Latino (primarily from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay) and that 55 percent of children enrolled in Fitchburg Public Schools come from homes where Spanish is the primary language. The demographic is growing and exceeds both Massachusetts and national percentages for Latino populations, according to data from the United States Census Bureau.

Only at the helm for a short time (18 months) as compared to his predecessor Peter Timms, who retired after nearly 40 years, Mr. Capasso said he is determined to make the city's Spanish-speaking population feel as welcome as possible at the museum,which is situated off Main Street at 25 Merriam Parkway.

"I knew the Latino population in Fitchburg was big, but I didn't know that it was that big. The size surprised me," said Mr. Capasso, the former deputy director for curatorial affairs at the deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln. "I realized that this museum needed to do more to serve the community, not be just a hushed temple of the fine arts. I thought, 'Geez, 40 percent of the people here have a language issue. Let's make that go away — at least at the museum.' "

So he and the rest of the museum staff embarked on the Bilingual Museum Initiative adding Spanish signage to the exterior of the building and hiring bilingual receptionist Charlie Cruz. The museum also has a bilingual Facebook page and offers free admission to all residents in Fitchburg's Ward 4B, a predominantly Latino neighborhood where the museum is situated.

Over the next few years, the museum will add bilingual printed collateral, a website and docent tours with the assistance of a local Latino Community Advisory Committee and the Cleghorn Neighborhood Association, the primary service organization for Fitchburg's Latino and Latino Immigrant communities.

"We'll be the only one in New England that is completely bilingual," Mr. Capasso said. "All texts in the galleries, object labels, explanatory texts ... It will take a few years to do, but ultimately we want to make sure all text throughout the museum, brochures and fliers are bilingual."

Though he worked at deCordova 22 years, Mr. Capasso, who holds a Ph.D. in art history from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, said the demographics were different in Lincoln and the language barrier issue never came up.

"There are several significant barriers to our mission of serving everyone in the community," Mr. Capasso said. "The first is language. That is easy to fix. You just translate the English and hire bilingual speakers. Socioeconomic issues aren't as easy. Many are working lower-to-middle class who are struggling with poverty. With folks like that, whether you are Latino, black or white, going to a museum is just not high on your list of things to do."

In their native countries such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Uruguay, museums are elitist institutions, he said.

"Regular folks are not made to feel welcome there," he said. "We want to invite people in and make them feel comfortable. That is not easy, but we're absolutely committed to it. This museum is here to serve everybody. If people don't feel comfortable coming here, we're not serving them."

He said people sometimes argue that Spanish-speaking residents should just learn English.

"But, we're not here to teach English," he said. "We're here to teach art. As long as people in the community are not speaking English, we need to speak in their language. Otherwise, we're not teaching art effectively."

Mayor Lisa A. Wong said the museum's initiative is a community model.

"This is another big step in the renewal of the museum and the downtown neighborhood," she said.

Other museums have added foreign languages to their collections, but undertaking the enormous task FAM has begun would take years for larger institutions, said Monica W. Elefterion, marketing and communications coordinator at the Worcester Art Museum.

"With the size of their (FAM's) collection they can do that," she said. "We have so much volume — we're doing it with exhibitions as we go forward and when we're refreshing galleries."

WAM offers a Spanish audio tour of its general collection highlights and the remastered exhibit and "Guns without Borders in Mexico and Central America" exhibit, she said. "Text for the Knights!" exhibit is trilingual translated in Spanish, English and Vietnamese, she said.

That is a tiny slice of the culture that is in Worcester, she said, with more than 30 languages spoken in the city.

"The least we can do is to reach out to different audiences," she said. "We're trying to move toward universal access with no language or disabled barriers. It is part of our vision statement to attract more people."

Ward 4 Fitchburg Councilor Michael Kushmerek said FAM's initiative is a great way to integrate the surrounding community.

"The art museum is a cultural anchor," he said. "It illustrates a commitment to cultural diversity and making it accessible to people in the community it serves. The Latino population is steadily growing and it is still a fairly new population in Ward 4. We're finding out what they need as they move along. It is essential we give them time to figure out what they need and be at their disposal as they need it."

FAM bilingual receptionist Mr. Cruz, who moved to the U.S. from Puerto Rico when he was a child, greets and chats with visitors as they enter the museum. He said since FAM added Spanish signage, he has been seeing more Latinos come through the doors.

"It does feel good," he said. "They feel more welcome and are able to access the local art that is around them and feel more connected. Even with Latinos who speak English, it is easier for them to understand in their native tongue."

The museum is reaching out to the Latino community through the nearby Elm Street Church, the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center and also sent out information about FAM exhibits in Spanish to remind them about free admission, he said.

The "One Language is Never Enough: Latino Artists in Southern New England" exhibit is opening at FAM Sept. 21.

The group exhibition features 24 contemporary artists who live and work in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and can trace personal roots to cultures and countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

Worcester artist Victor M. Pacheco, who was born in Puerto Rico, is participating in the exhibit. He said he fully supports FAM going bilingual and plans to help out in the museum's "learning lounge," which helps visitors understand the exhibits.

"It helps people understand what the art is," he said. "It links people with the art and helps them connect with the exhibits."

"One Language is Never Enough" is presented in collaboration with the Cleghorn Neighborhood Association, the primary service organization for Fitchburg's Latino and Latino immigrant communities.

The Fitchburg Art Museum serves the cities of Fitchburg and Leominster and the surrounding communities in North Central Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire.

CDL A DELIVERY DRIVERS Home Every Night! Needed for our Worcester Depot! Drive local - No more spending valuable nights away from your family! As a Direct Store Delivery Representative YOU have the opportunity to make a difference with our customers! Provide excellent customer service; interact in a positive manner with our customers; deliver our products to local stores. Be home every night! Work for a Company that has been around for over 80 years! Minimum of 3 months driving experience with CDL A/B; GED or HS diploma required; Must be able to drive a standard transmission. EEO/Veteran/Disability Growing Strong Since1933!